CH356 Dark Water's Alpha

***

The next morning, just before sunrise, Alex left his Enclave residence.

Udara followed silently behind him — in her mind, her rightful place as his Shadow Guard.

No amount of persuasion from Alex could change her mind. Not even his persuasive tongue could convince her to stand beside him.

She was resolute — her position was behind him, whether literally or figuratively — to shield him from all threats, be they born of light or shadow.

Seeing how unshakable she was, Alex eventually gave up and let her be. After all, just as Zora was determined to oversee the administration and day-to-day affairs of his household, and Eleanor would manage business matters while supporting his craftsmanship, Udara — after her training under Allen Holder — was destined to take charge of all security and intelligence operations within his domain.

In essence, Udara commanded both the first and last line of his household's defence.

If standing behind him made her feel she was fulfilling that duty, then so be it.

At the end of the day, she would still be at his side when it truly mattered.

They walked through the quiet streets toward the main headquarters of the Golden Palace, located not in the bustling entertainment city, built with the Enclave, but within the heart of the primary Enclave city that encircled the Enclave's central spire.

Alex discreetly clipped a special ID placard to the corner of his trousers, letting it hang just below his jacket. To the casual eye, it looked like an eccentric fashion accessory — but the Palace guards immediately recognised it. Upon seeing the insignia, they wordlessly stepped aside, granting the pair unobstructed passage.

Alex and Udara ascended several staircases and passed through a succession of gilded corridors until they reached the top floor of the building.

This floor was officially known as the location of the Palace Head's office — belonging to Cromwell Haggleworth. Yet, known only to a privileged few, there existed another office here — one of far greater importance.

The office of the Palace Master, the Chairman of the Golden Palace.

The pair stopped before the grand door.

Alex unhooked the placard from his belt and pressed it against the dummy keyhole — the mechanism clicking softly like a rune-linked electronic keycard.

Alex took in the sights of the office. This was his first time here, and he found himself impressed by its décor.

ItIt possessed a sophisticated scholarly charm that suited his taste perfectly. None of the furniture was particularly lavish or made from exotic materials—each piece was plain yet meticulously crafted from sturdy woods.

Their worth lay not in the value of the materials, but in the craftsmanship itself.

To the untrained eye, most of the pieces in the room would likely appear ordinary, even plain. But to someone like Alex, it was clear this room exuded an understated opulence—one that spoke of refinement rather than extravagance.

It was the kind of veiled luxury he appreciated most.

He sent out a quick message through his Beta Bracer, then found himself idly considering striking a cliché pose—hands clasped behind his back, standing before the window, back facing the door while looking down at the city's landscape.

Eventually, he dismissed the idea with a quiet chuckle. It simply wasn't his style.

Just then, a book on one of the shelves near the main desk caught his eye. Alex approached, running his fingers across the spine before gently pulling it free.

It was a compilation of essays from a Runesmith who lived two generations ago—a name Alex didn't recognise.

The scholar in him stirred.

He began to read.

Meanwhile, Udara took up a position a few paces behind him and to the side of the desk, facing the door. Her stance was poised, her attention sharp—ready to intercept any potential threat while Alex was lost in the world of words.

Unintentionally, they created quite the scene: a composed scholar, quietly engrossed before a shelf of books, with his silent protector standing watch behind him.

It was, in its own way, a power pose—one far more fitting for Alex's temperament.

Or so he would claim.

The sound of the door opening broke the moment.

Udara glanced over just as Alex's guest entered—a half-Drow woman dressed in a dark, military-style variant of the Golden Palace uniform.

The woman's crimson eyes briefly met Udara's. Something unreadable flickered across her gaze before she inclined her head in a respectful nod.

Then, with measured calm, she stepped aside from the doorway, clearly intending to wait until Alex finished reading.

Udara, however, moved closer to Alex's side.

"Master, your guest is here," she said softly, her voice steady but carrying a note of subtle reminder.

"Ah? Ah, yes." Alex blinked, snapping out of his thoughts. He closed the book gently and glanced at its title.

There was no hidden secret or groundbreaking revelation within—just the personal musings of a long-gone Runesmith.

Yet the insights were unique for their time, enough to draw Alex's curiosity deeply.

'I wish I could have met them,' he mused silently.

He immediately composed a message to Haggleworth through his Beta Bracer, requesting every book or artifact related to that particular Runesmith.

Then, turning toward his guest, he smiled warmly.

"Alpha, you're here. I apologise—I got too caught up in this book."

There was a flicker of surprise in the Drow woman's eyes at his genuine tone.

"I apologise for disturbing your reading, Master," Alpha said respectfully, bowing her head.

"Nonsense, I was the one who asked you to come," Alex said casually, waving off her apology.

He gestured toward the seat before his desk, inviting Alpha to sit. Once they were both seated, Udara quietly moved behind Alex again, standing at attention like a silent shadow.

"This meeting is long overdue," Alex began.

"Master is a very busy man. I understand," Alpha replied evenly.

Alex smiled faintly, leaning back as he studied her.

Through his Spirit Sight, he observed the flow of mana around her. It confirmed what he already suspected—she was a mage-type professional. Yet something about her stood out. Her mana aligned not with the Darkness element, as one would expect from a Drow, but with Earth.

'Interesting,' Alex mused. 'It seems her human side triumphed over her Drow lineage—at least in elemental affinity. Her appearance, though, is unmistakably Drow.'

He folded his hands over the desk. "Your record lists you as a former spymaster of the Velratha Imperial Dynasty of the Eternal Valkyrie Empire. A position of no small importance. Yet you supposedly retired abruptly and left the Empire nearly a decade ago."

He paused, his gaze calm but piercing. "Why return now? And why to a no-name merchant company of all places?"

Alpha's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you doubting my loyalty, sir?"

Alex shook his head.

"I have one major flaw," he said. "One I've no intention of fixing."

Her brow lifted faintly in curiosity.

"I don't use people I don't trust," Alex continued. "And I don't doubt the people I use. You've handled several sensitive assignments for me already. What does that tell you?"

Alpha held his gaze for a moment before nodding her head slightly.

"Good." Alex leaned back again, tone softening. "I'm merely curious. It's not every day an organisation like ours gains someone with your background."

Alpha hesitated, her expression wavering for the first time.

"I was… looking for something," she said quietly. Then, with a sigh, she added, "But when I finally found it, what I was searching for was already gone."

She did nothing to hide the melancholy or loss in tone and expression.

"I see," Alex murmured. "Then, if what you were searching for ever returns… I take it you would leave?"

Alpha slowly shook her head.

"What I was looking for is gone," she said firmly. "What I want now—and what I'm searching for—can only be found here."

Alex's gaze deepened. "Do you need the Palace in order to find it… or is 'it' the Palace itself?"

"Both, for now," Alpha replied without hesitation. "But it could be only the former."

Alex's index finger tapped idly against the armrest of his chair as he considered her words. "I understand," he said at last, nodding once.

Udara, meanwhile, was completely lost.

Despite understanding every word spoken, she couldn't make sense of their cryptic exchange. To her ears, it was as if the two were conversing in riddles.

Alex finally got to the heart of their meeting. "I take it you already know who I am," he said calmly, "and have some expectation of why I've asked you here today?"

**(6/70)**

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